THE JOHNS HOPKINS
BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
OFFICE OF THE DEAN

Date Effective: May 18, 2006

POLICY & PROCEDURE MEMORANDUM ACADEMIC PROGRAMS – 11

SUBJECT: Master of Health Science Degree – Professional

INTRODUCTION:

The Master of Health Science Professional Degree Programs offered by The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health emphasize mastery of a body of knowledge and skills, either broad-based or narrowly focused. These programs are intended for individuals who want to begin or advance careers as public health professionals. They include didactic course work followed by a practice or field experience. Emphasis is on the application of knowledge in problem-solving, rather than upon the search for new knowledge through research.

Because of the variability and complexity of public health problems, the needs for experts prepared in many fields, and the many types of career paths and employment opportunities open to graduates, the School permits an appropriate level of heterogeneity and flexibility in the Master of Health Science professional programs while maintaining the rigor and quality characteristic of the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The following information provides details of the minimum requirements for certain generic aspects of these degree programs. Prescription of further details in a given program is the responsibility of the academic department offering the degree program. An academic department may prescribe further requirements beyond those in this Policy and Procedure Memorandum.

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

Policy

The minimum requirements for admission to a Master of Health Science Professional Degree program include:

• Possession of a baccalaureate-level degree in a field of study considered appropriate to the Master of Health Science Professional Degree program for which application is made;
• Submission of the results of the Graduate Record Exam or other standardized test of aptitude for graduate study by applicants who do not already possess a graduate degree;
• Demonstration of acceptable performance on the TOEFL examination or other measure of competence to pursue graduate study in the English language on the part of all students from non-English speaking countries; and
• Demonstration of compatibility of the applicant's career goals with the educational objectives of the degree program to which the applicant is applying.
• The student's acceptance is tentative until the receipt of all official and complete required transcripts. The Office of Admissions is responsible for identifying those students with missing credentials and the Office of Registration and Records is responsible for assuring such students will be unable to register after two terms.

Procedure

• Primary responsibility for selection of applicants to be admitted to a Master of Health Science Professional Degree program rests with the academic department offering the degree program.
• The Committee on Academic Standards has the responsibility to review and approve minimum criteria for admissions; departmental programs will define additional criteria as appropriate.

PROGRAM DURATION

Policy

• The minimum duration of Master of Health Science Professional Degree programs is to be four academic terms (64 academic term credit units) plus a practical/field experience.

Procedure

• The department offering the degree program shall determine the duration of the program and include this in the formal description of the program.
• The department offering the degree shall determine what proportion of the required academic credits must be taken in full-time residence and what proportion may be taken on a part-time basis.

PROGRAM ELEMENTS

Policy

• Each Master of Health Science Professional Degree program shall have a definite set of educational objectives and a course of study relevant to these objectives and the needs of the students.
• The required course of study shall include offerings chosen so as to develop general competence in the five core areas of public health and more in-depth competence in one or more areas relevant to the program of study.

Procedure

• The department offering the degree program shall have the responsibility to formulate educational objectives for the program and to identify those course offerings of the School which shall be required of the enrolled students. This information is to be included in the description of the program.
• The department also has the responsibility to develop a statement regarding the means of determining exceptions to the academic requirements for individual enrolled students.

Policy

• In accord with the professional orientation of the Master of Health Science Professional Degree programs, each program shall include an organized practical/field experience as specified by the academic department. This represents an exercise in the application of analytic and technological knowledge and skills in solving problems in the areas relevant to the degree program.

Procedure

• The department offering the degree program shall have the responsibility of designing and arranging the content and duration of the practical/field experience so that it provides experience in problem-solving relevant to the subject area of the program.
• The department shall have the responsibility to assure that the analytic or practical/field experience meets the educational objectives of the program.
• The department shall have the responsibility of assuring that the choice of preceptors with which students work is in accord with the academic standards of the School of Public Health.
• The department also shall develop a statement detailing conditions for waiving a field experience for selected individual students.

Policy

• The program shall require a culminating experience.

Procedure

• The department shall require a written essay that integrates the student’s academic program/course of study and the practical/field experience. The essay will be evaluated by the student’s advisor, and by the practical/field experience preceptor or another faculty member.

Policy

• The program shall be so designed as to promote the development of skills in organizing and presenting scientific information.

Procedure

• The department offering the program shall design appropriate exercises such as expanded seminar or scientific presentations that provide the opportunity for students to practice and improve skills in presenting information in precise and concise form.
• The department shall also develop a statement detailing conditions for waiving this requirement.

EVALUATION OF STUDENT PROGRESS

Policy

• There shall be methods to monitor, evaluate, and record the progress of students in fulfilling the requirements of the Master of Health Science professional degree programs in which they are enrolled and to assure that the academic standards of the School of Public Health are maintained. These procedures shall involve the students’ advisors and faculty outside the departments in which they are enrolled.

Procedure

• Each department offering the Master of Health Science Professional Degree program shall assure that the curriculum arranged for each enrolled student includes a minimum of five credits of formal coursework (exclusive of special studies and research) in one or more other departments of the School.
• For the practical/field placement requirement, the department shall assure regular, formal oversight of the placements and require a written evaluation of the placement experience by both student and field preceptor.
• To evaluate the student’s ability to organize and present scientific information, at least one faculty member from outside the department in which the student is enrolled shall participate in the evaluation of the student's performance.
• The department offering the Master of Health Science Professional Degree program shall have the responsibility of documenting the appropriate degree requirements. The department chairman will attest to the fulfillment of these requirements for each enrolled student in writing to the Office of Registration and Records where official student records are maintained.
• The department shall forward to the Committee on Academic Standards recommendations for award of the Master of Health Science professional degree to students it deems to have completed the requirements for this degree.
• Responsibility for approving such recommendations and for determining that the requirements have been met for award of the Master of Health Science Professional Degree rests with the Committee on Academic Standards and ultimately the Advisory Board.
• All requirements for the Master of Health Science Professional Degree must be completed within four calendar years, beginning at the time of matriculation.¹

APPROVAL AND EVALUATION OF NEW AND EXISTING MASTER OF HEALTH SCIENCE DEGREE PROGRAMS

Policy

• The School of Public Health shall assure that all new and existing Master of Health Science Professional Degree programs are consonant with the goals and objectives of the School of Public Health and that the quality of the academic programs and the graduates of these programs are consistent with the standards of the School.

Procedure

• The department wishing to introduce a new Master of Health Science Professional Degree program in the School shall prepare a description of this program, including the objectives, program content, admission requirements, and methods for monitoring student progress. This description shall be submitted to the Committee on Academic Standards for review. Final approval for the introduction of a new degree program rests with the Advisory Board.
• Existing Master of Health Science Professional Degree programs are reviewed on a regular basis with other degree programs offered by a department at the time of the formal departmental review in the accreditation cycle.

¹ The matriculation date is the first day of the term in which the accepted degree candidate begins his/her coursework. The matriculation date is not changed when a student transfers to another degree program; it does change when a student completes one degree program and enters another.